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2021-06 Institute Report Virginia Military Institute Institute Report Volume 49, Number 8, June 2021 ‘Challenge Yourself Personally and Professionally’ Nearly 350 Cadets Graduate in Outdoor Ceremony By Mary Price Gen. Gustave “Gus” Perna, a U.S. Army offered life lessons for graduating cadets graduation on the Parade Ground was four-star general who served as chief op- in commencement exercises held Sunday, common in the 19th century, this year’s erating officer for Operation Warp Speed, May 16, in Foster Stadium. event was VMI’s first outdoor gradua- a public-private partnership to facilitate Just under 350 cadets received degrees tion in decades. A sprinkling rain fell and accelerate the development and in VMI’s first in-person graduation distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations, ceremony since December 2019. While See Graduation, page 8 A socially distanced crowd attends the commencement ceremony in Foster Stadium May 16.—VMI Photo by H. Lockwood McLaughlin. Love Named Chief Diversity Officer at VMI By Maj. Michelle Ellwood After nearly two decades of experience in student engage- was created with representatives from Institute leadership and ment, behavioral intervention, and accountability in higher the Board of Visitors, along with faculty and staff from a wide education, Dr. Jamica N. Love has been named the chief diversity variety of areas across post. officer at VMI. “She stood out and will be the right person at the right time,” She was chosen from a competitive pool of candidates in a said Michael Hamlar, a member of the VMI Board of Visitors national hiring search. The decision to create a permanent chief and also a member of the search committee. “It’s an honor to diversity officer position was made by the VMI Board of Visitors in late October 2020. Following that decision, a search committee See Love, page 24 Recent Graduate to Teach in France By Mary Price “It’s been quite a journey, but I’m very happy with where I am of time to explore a new country. Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic now. I never imagined these kinds of opportunities when I was brought his study abroad experience to an early halt, as it did for coming in.” thousands of students around the globe. That’s what Noah Lawing ’21 had to say about the course of Less than a year later, Lawing found himself applying to TAPIF. his cadetship, which has involved a change of major, a change of He’d learned about the program from Carrico, who participated in heart about commissioning, and now, an accepted invitation to the program herself as a graduate student in 2009, working with ele- participate in the Teaching mentary schoolers at three Assistant Program in France schools south of Paris. (TAPIF). This program, which “This program usually is sponsored by the French attracts French majors government, recruits approxi- from colleges,” she noted. mately 1,500 American citizens “It’s often people who want and permanent residents to work on their French, each year to teach English in have a cross-cultural French public schools, not exchange, and also want only in France itself but also in to see, ‘Hey, is teaching French-speaking countries. for me?’” For Lawing, who matric- That’s exactly the appeal ulated as a chemistry major, for Lawing, who is now teaching overseas was the leaning toward graduate farthest possibility from his study and possibly earning mind during his rat year. He’d a doctorate in French. had four years of French in “I think the main reason high school, but he didn’t sign I wanted to do this pro- up for language classes imme- gram is so I can get some diately upon matriculation. experience teaching before He’d planned to commission I decide if I want to go to in the Navy and thought that a graduate school,” he stated. STEM major would make him Lawing has yet to receive more appealing to that branch Noah Lawing ’21 his official school assign- of the service. ment, but he’s requested to By the end of the first semester of his 3rd Class year, though, be placed in a small to medium-sized city near Toulouse, which is in Lawing could see that his plan wasn’t working. His grades were low, the southern part of France north of Spain. It’s a city he visited while and the Navy didn’t seem as appealing. He then switched his major he was in France last year, and one that he remembers fondly. to modern languages and cultures (French) and tested his way to Another attraction is the traditional language of the region, placement in a 300-level class. Occitan, which is a Romance language that’s considered endan- Right away, Lawing felt at home in the department, and he gered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural quickly developed a rapport with Lt. Col. Jeff Kendrick and Lt. Col. Organization (UNESCO) Red Book of Endangered Languages. Abbey Carrico, both associate professors of modern languages “I’m just fascinated by it. I like old languages,” said Lawing, who and cultures. added that he might study Occitan in graduate school. “They both care so much about education and about their stu- Lawing has learned a few things about studying a language— dents,” said Lawing. “They’re the best professors that I could have among them, that just going to class and doing the assigned work asked for.” aren’t enough if one wants to become truly proficient. The professors, meanwhile, return the admiration. For Kendrick, “I’ve done a lot to immerse myself… in French, even before I there’s enjoyment in having an independent learner such as Lawing went to France,” he stated. In his spare time, Lawing likes to read in his classes. books in French, and also watch French TV shows and movies. “It’s a lot of fun to teach a student like that because they’re always He’s also dipped his toes into teaching by facilitating the Miller challenging you,” he said. Academic Center’s group study session for cadets in lower-level “His French is already at a very good level,” said Carrico. “This French courses. [experience] will help build his confidence speaking it.” Thinking over his cadetship, Lawing is surprised and pleased at In the spring of 2020, Lawing studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence, the direction he’s taken, especially as he contemplates following his an ancient city in southern France. “It was the time of my life,” he mentors into the teaching profession. “It’s not something I’d ever recalled, with fellow students from around the world and plenty expected out of myself, but now I’m kind of thinking about it.” 2 VMI Institute Report Institute Report Cadets Attend BEYA Conference Volume 49, Number 8, June 2021 By Mary Price The Institute Report, VMI’s monthly newsletter, Earlier this semester, 10 cadets attended the BEYA STEM conference, which was held publishes eight issues during each academic virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. BEYA, which stands for Black Engineer of the year. Inquiries, suggestions, news items, Year Award, is an organization dedicated to helping minorities pursue careers in the STEM and address changes should be directed to fields. VMI has been sending cadets to the BEYA conference since 2014, with the goal of help- Editor, Institute Report, VMI Communications ing them find internships and employment opportunities. and Marketing, Lexington, VA 24450‑0304; “The cadets who attended BEYA virtually were able to go to talks from people in indus- (540) 464‑7207; or [email protected]. try—technology, communications, computer science, health care, etc.—from large cor- © 2021 Virginia Military Institute. porations including Amazon, Lockheed Martin, Walmart, Raytheon, etc.,” said Col. Troy Siemers, professor of applied mathematics, who organized this year’s cadet group. Director Col. Bill Wyatt Jordan Ward ’21, a mechanical engineering major and a member of the Honor Court, Editor Maj. Michelle Ellwood attended the BEYA conference for three consecutive years, including this year. “I got my Assistant Editor Kelly Nye summer internship out of it [last year], and that was just from me showing up and present- ing myself,” said Ward, who plans to pursue graduate study after VMI. Ward’s internship Designer Robbin Youngblood was with Raytheon Technologies in Northern Virginia. “It was a little different because of Institute Report Staff COVID—some days in the office, some days working from home—but I was still able to get a H. Lockwood McLaughlin full experience out of it,” he said. Eric Moore Siemers noted that the cadets also showed up in numbers at the Stars & Stripes event, Mary Price which spotlights high-ranking African-American officers in all branches of the mili- Header photo on page 1 by tary. Three years ago, Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins ’85, superintendent, was selected as the H. Lockwood McLaughlin Army recipient of the Stars and Stripes Award at the BEYA STEM Conference. That same year, retired Air Force Col. Timothy K. Bridges ’79 won the BEYA Career Achievement in Government Award. The Virginia Military Institute is committed to pro- viding an environment that emphasizes the dignity “Cadets should attend [BEYA] primarily because this organization specializes in working and worth of every member of its community and with companies who are specifically recruiting STEM talent,” said retired Army Maj. E. that is free from harassment and discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, religion, Sean Lanier ’94, a member of the VMI Board of Visitors who has been involved with BEYA age, veteran status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information, against otherwise qualified for many years.
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